Parkside Regeneration quick to set up supply chain opportunities
Almost 170 firms across the region have registered an interest in working with Parkside Regeneration LLP, the joint venture company delivering the transformation of the former Parkside colliery in Newton-le-Willows.
In a move to boost local supply chain input into the major employment scheme, a research assignment on the company’s behalf contacted 2,000 businesses in St Helens and the wider Liverpool city region to gauge their interest in supplying the scheme during construction of its first phase.
A total of 169 businesses have registered, and they will now go forward to the next phase of assessment.
Earlier this month the £80m first phase regeneration of the former Parkside Colliery site was approved by St Helens Borough Council.
The local authority rubber stamped the ‘reserved matters’ application for the site, which will deliver three units comprising around 800,000 sq ft of B8 space. Up to 1,330 jobs are also expected to be created with the first phase.
John Downes, group chief executive of developer Langtree, which is a 50:50 shareholder in the joint venture with St Helens Council, said: “This initial search has proven highly beneficial and will help us maximise the local input into Parkside.”
The research was undertaken for Parkside by St Helens Chamber of Commerce, which, last week, announced that it had been placed in administration. The data, owned by the joint venture, will be managed by the project’s professional team going forward, said Mr Downes.
He added: “We’re now working with the contracting industry to help us understand how best to qualify suppliers and sub-contractors for work on phase one.
“That’s about understanding the sort of documentation and accreditation that a main contractor requires of its supply chain to comply with its insurance and project delivery protocols. Once we’ve clarified this then we’ll be getting back in touch with our registered businesses with guidance on bid timetables and needs.”
Until that point, he said, companies can still register their interest in bidding for a range of work packages, from earthworks to joinery and flooring to windows, at thisisparkside.co.uk/local-suppliers
Cllr Kate Groucutt, St Helens Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy, Skills and Business, said: “The surest way of maximising the social value for Newton-le-Willows and the wider borough is through helping local firms secure contracts to deliver Parkside.
“Building capacity and confidence in our local supply chain whilst also attracting high quality long term jobs will be what marks Parkside out as an exemplar of true public and private partnership.”
The scheme will benefit from the construction of the £55m Parkside Link Road, which connects the site to junction 22 of the M6 motorway and is set to complete this spring.
Once finished, phase one is expected to generate more than £2.2m in annual rates income for St Helens Borough Council and add more than £80m of output per annum to the borough’s economy.
